Stitches and Scythes
by CallMeHush
Summary: They were only kids when they first met, but as Spirit and Stein grow older, connections start to form that seem stronger than simply Meister and Weapon. Could it be that opposite personality's attract but never last? SteinXSpirit over the years.
1. Aged 11 and 12

Ok, so I have wanted to do a SteinXSpirit for a while now but I never really got round to it. But hooray, here it is! I have decided to do this fic in the same style as my Death Note fic "Unexplainable Emotion", as in rather than give a full story, I will highlight certain points in their life as the two of them grow up and develop their feelings for each other over the years, because nothing happens instantly like some fics might have you believe XD So yeah, we start when they are just itsy bitsy kids and by the end of it we should have… well I suppose you will have to wait and see! :D Please leave me a review as this is my first Soul Eater fic and it would be greatly appreciated to gain some feedback!

…

_You're so quiet, but it doesn't faze me._

_You're on time, you move so fast it makes me feel lazy,_

_Let's join forces._

**Aged 11 and 12**

The young girl let the death scythe slip through her fingers so that it clattered noisily to the stone cobbles. There was a flash of white light and the death scythe seemed to liquidise and mould until the dark metal had disappeared, replaced by the figure of a young boy sprawled on the floor.

"You dropped me!" He announced, rubbing the back of his head as he sat up, crimson red hair falling loosely around his annoyed face.

"You were way too heavy, our souls aren't right for each other." The young girl replied timidly and then shuffled away among the crowd of children. Spirit scowled in her direction as he stood, brushing the dirt off of his black shirt and trousers. He surveyed the scene in front of him.

The courtyard of the DWMA was full of kids, all new arrivals to the academy and all on their desperate search for that one partner who will spend the years with them, that one person whose soul resonates perfectly with their own. Spirit kicked at a loose pebble with his boot and watched it roll away into the crowd of smiling children. He was sick of being rejected. He had lost count of the amount of meister's he had tried to pair with, each one of them moving on to someone else when they were unable to match his soul. _You burn my hands…. You're too heavy for me… It doesn't feel right…_

And now the crowd was starting to dwindle as newly formed partners moved away together, excited about practising with each other, learning new skills. Spirit shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to keep the defeated look from his face, wondering what would happen to him if he couldn't find someone before the day was up.

He let his gaze drift over the remaining few and his eye caught on a young boy crouched by the edge. He wore a simple white jacket and trousers sewn crudely together with thick black thread and his silver hair flopped forward over his face as he studied something before him on the ground. Spirit observed as a young girl with long black hair approached the crouching boy, standing expectantly by him. Spirit smirked when he saw that the boy was refusing to even glance up at the girl, instead leaving her to stand awkwardly beside him, her face screwing up in discomfort.

"Are you a weapon or a meister?" Spirit heard her ask with mock confidence although the boy still refused to look up at her.

"I'm a meister." Spirit heard the boy say in a blunt voice and then saw him reach out a finger to poke at something on the ground. The girl scrunched up her nose slightly before giving a small sigh of defeat.

"Do you wanna try and pair with me or not?" She asked in an impatient tone, placing her hands on her hips and glaring down at him. For a moment, the boy was still and it seemed to Spirit that if a large gust of wind was to come along, the boy would be easily carried away along with it. But then his head turned, grey bangs of hair falling away from his pale face to reveal two mossy green eyes which stared blankly up at the girl.

"No thanks." He replied and then he returned his attention to the ground, "Your soul wouldn't resonate with mine well."

"How do you know that if I haven't even tried yet?" She frowned but the boy seemed to not be paying much attention. With a small huff of annoyance, the girl turned and stalked away, leaving the boy alone once more.

Spirit tilted his head to one side before giving a determined grin and striding over towards the other boy. As he approached, he realised that the younger boy had managed to pin a butterfly to the ground in front of him, two large stones holding down its wings as it wriggled desperately.

"Hey!" Spirit shouted as he reached the boy, his shadow engulfing the crouched figure as he loomed over him, "That's cruel, let it go."

"Its wings are too damaged for it to possibly survive in the wild now." Came the low monotone voice and Spirit frowned in annoyance.

"Yeah, well whose fault is that?"

"It is mine, I am not afraid to take responsibility." At this moment the boy looked up, eyes piercing and bright.

"Why did you do it?" Spirit's tone became less angry and more curious, the younger boys expression making him feel cautious.

"I was just interested in its anatomy; I wanted to inspect it, although I don't have the tools to properly dissect a body so small at the moment." The boy had turned back to the squirming butterfly, his face leaning close to the bug and Spirit couldn't help but notice the hint of excitement that had lit up in the boy's voice.

"Shouldn't you end its suffering? I mean, it's terrible to keep it in so much pain like that." Spirit moved to stand opposite the other boy before crouching down himself so that they were face to face.

"I suppose that would be the ethical thing to do." The boy replied and Spirit saw his expression drop just a little. When he seemed to make no movement to do the job, Spirit sighed and reached out his hand, crushing the head of the bug with his thumb and stopping its desperate movements. They crouched in silence for a second, simply staring down at the dead bug on the floor until Spirit felt the boy's gaze on him. He looked up and recoiled at the intensity of the other boy's stare, his blue eyes turning wide against the green gaze.

"Would you like to try and resonate our souls?" The boy said, surprising Spirit so that his eyebrows rose under his red hair.

"Erm… sure." He replied and they both stood, the younger boy holding out two white sleeves with pale palms pointing upwards, ready for the weapon.

Spirit took a large breath in and let himself transform, his tall black figure melting and morphing into the tall black pole and sharp, shining blade. He fell into the younger boy's palms and held his breath, waiting for the rejection he had become so used to. Yet it did not come.

The boy lifted him easily, as though he was made of mere paper and proceeded to spin him round expertly, his grip steady and sure. Spirit gave a small laugh of relief as the boy stood him upwards, the large blade curving above his head.

"Shall we try and resonate properly?" The boy asked, his tone expressionless.

"Yeah, let's go for it!" Spirit shouted enthusiastically, feeling confident in this meister's grip.

And then he felt the boy's soul expand, the force of it stronger than any soul he had felt before, almost knocking him back into human form with its bright blue intensity. It was reaching out for him, shining through the darkness to find his own soul. And then they were joined together. Two souls as one and working in perfect harmony. Spirit let euphoria wash over him as they resonated, he had never felt so powerful, so ready to take on any fight that may come their way.

The young boy spun him round his head effortlessly, his pale and nimble fingers working quickly before he grasped to the handle tightly with both hands and brought Spirit crashing down the ground so that the stone cracked beneath the blade, slicing the small butterfly body perfectly in half with extreme precision. Spirit felt the boy's soul move away and separate itself from his own as he rose the blade of the scythe from the floor and stood it up once more.

Spirit quickly transformed back into human form, panting from the exhilaration of the experience, a wide grin on his face. Around them, a small crowd of children had gathered, mouths gaping wide at the display the two of them had put on. However the young boy seemed to not be paying them any attention. Instead he was crouched once more on the ground, his face close to the halved butterfly, inspecting his handy work on the poor bug.

"That was amazing! I've never had my soul connect with anyone's like that before." Spirit announced and then went to sit beside the boy once more. "Will you be my Meister?"

The boy remained silent, his expression seeming to consider the proposal whilst his eyes still roamed the mutilated butterfly. Eventually he reached out a small hand and crushed what was left of the bug to nothing more than mush then turned to Spirit.

"I suppose I could allow you to be my weapon, you have a strong soul." He said and then to Spirit's surprise, he gave a small smile; an action that seemed so strange and awkward yet was brilliantly beautiful at the same time. Spirit returned the smile and held out a hand for him to shake,

"I'm Spirit Albarn." He said and the younger boy gave his hand a cautious look before taking it in his own, smearing Spirits palm with butterfly remains.

"I'm Franken Stein. But just call me Stein."

"Stein." Spirit grinned at the strange young boy, happy to have a partner at last.

…

**Next chapter should see them a few years into the future, how will their relationship have developed by then? :D**


	2. Aged 13 and 14

_We've got our guns and horses,_

_I know you've been burnt,_

_But every fire is a lesson learnt._

**Aged 13 and 14**

Stein brought his fist down heavily, striking the boy pinned down beneath him in the face and causing him to cry out in pain.

"Where did you hide it? Are you going to tell me now?" He cried out, grasping at the boys shirt with clenched fingers.

"I don't know what you're talking about! Let me go!" The boy screamed back, taking a swing at Stein which was quickly dodged.

"I saw you laughing at me the other day. And now my scalpel is missing. You stole it didn't you?" Stein shouted, pushing down on the boy's chest and leaning his face close to the boy's own bloodied face.

"I didn't steal any stupid scalpel! You're a fucking freak! Go to hell!" He yelled and Stein gave a wide smile, his shoulders shaking with hysterical laughter and his knuckles turning white from his harsh grip.

"Do I honestly look like someone who believes in heaven and hell?" He said in a low voice, his eyebrows rising over wild green eyes.

"Stein!"

The voice cut through the air, stern and authorative and enough the make Stein pause in his laughter, enough to make his eyes soften just that little bit, as though realisation had just hit him. Spirit grabbed at his shoulder and yanked him up off the bleeding boy and Stein was obedient and limp like a rag doll, his fingers uncurling and his head dropping forwards to hide his eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I told you not to start fights! You have to stop being like that!" Spirit scolded and then scowled at the angry looking boy climbing to his feet, causing him to leave quickly.

"He stole my scalpel." Stein's voice was far away and distant and Spirit rolled his eyes and gave a sigh.

"No he didn't, you left it in class the other day. I was gonna give it back to you later." Spirit saw Stein twitch slightly and he slowly lifted his head, his face remaining emotionless and calm. Spirit gave him a concerned look and wondered what he could possibly do with the boy who gave in to his own madness so easily. He patted a hand on Stein's shoulder and gave him a lopsided grin.

"Hey, I managed to sneak some cigarettes off the professor, wanna try some smoking with me?" Spirit asked and Stein rubbed the side of his head, his grey hair sticking out messily as he shrugged.

"Sure."

…

"You are conducting the technique of it wrong Sempai." Stein stated with a slight air of superiority which got on Spirit's nerves slightly.

"I'm sorry _Mr Smoking Professional_." Spirit mocked, pulling a face at the deadpan Stein.

They sat side by side, leaning against a large oak tree in the secluded park area of Death City, the last remains of sunlight slipping through the leaves onto the grassy area below. Spirit attempted another drag of his cigarette only to burst into a coughing fit, his eyes watering in the process.

"Maybe you should stop, it's making you cry." Stein said seriously, although a ghost of a smile was on his lips. Spirit scowled at him but also put out the cigarette at the same time, instead, leaning back to watch his Meister take drags as though he had been smoking since infancy.

"How come you are so good at it?"

"Anything can be mastered once you understand how it works… smoking, fighting, the human body…" Stein blew out a cloud of smoke and Spirit couldn't help but pay attention to the way the grey smoke slipped easily past his lips.

"Is that why you keep wanting to cut stuff up?" Spirit asked, tucking a stray lock of red hair behind his ear.

"Dissecting is a form of understanding." Stein explained, taking another drag. Spirit gave a small nod and then pushed himself upwards into a standing position.

"We should head back."

"Agreed." Stein put out the rest of his cigarette and Spirit held out his hand to help him to his feet. There was a fleeting feeling of a shiver down Spirit's spine when Stein's hand touched his own, as though the coolness of the pale skin was running up and down his very bones, but it soon passed and they began to walk back to the academy.

"Spirit-sempai?"

"Yeah?" Spirit turned his head towards Stein, his blue eyes turning wide in question.

"Thank you. For stopping me back there with the boy. Sometimes… sometimes I lose control for some reason. And it's difficult to come back to reality when that happens." Stein didn't take his eyes from the ground they were walking on so he didn't see the worried look forming on Spirits face, or the sad way his eyes looked away.

"Don't worry about it, Stein. What are friends for?" Spirit tried to put on a cheerful voice but he couldn't shake the concerned feeling inside. And all the time, Stein simply looked ahead, the blank look on his face seeming sad and lonely to Spirit. Suddenly, he had thrown his arms around the younger boy in a hug which surprised them both. Stein froze against his affection, a slight tinge of pink tainting his cheeks from embarrassment.

"Spirit, please remove your arms from around me." He said and Spirit quickly dropped his grasp, his face turning as red as his hair as he tried to contemplate what he had just done. Stein was not the type of person who liked to be hugged. And he knew that. Yet he had done it, because he wanted to show Stein that he cared.

But whether Stein cared back was an entirely different matter. Sometimes it was a task just to find any emotion at all in the deathly looking boy.

"Maybe we can practice that new technique when we get back? We're getting pretty good as partners." Spirit said, falling back into step with Stein.

"Yeah, I think we are." Stein replied and although his eyes remained focussed on the ground, his lips curled upwards ever so slightly.

…

**Ok guys, a new chapter, and I think I should just point it out here that this fic is not going to be a story with a massive, complex plot and a whole load of action and stuff. The whole point of it is to just give snapshots of their lives as they grow up and to show how their relationship kind of evolves over time through different events. I'm not the type of person who is going to make them instantly fall in love, because you have to think that they are really only kids at this point in the story, they won't even be thinking about stuff like that until they are little older, so we will come to that later I guess :P**

**So anyways, to the lovely people who left me a review:**

**Lazy Gaga- Thanks for the review! I really appreciate it and hope you like this chapter too! (P.S. Awesome name XD) **

**- The age difference probably is about 3 years between them but for the sake of this fic, I made it only one year because it was easier to write that way, especially for when they were younger and at the academy together. I hope people don't mind too much :S And thanks for the review! I try to keep my updates really quick :D**

**Please leave more reviews! :D**


	3. Aged 15 and 16

_I wish I could feel it all for you,_

_I wish I could be it all for you,_

_If I could erase the pain,_

_Then maybe you'd feel the same._

**Aged 15 and 16**

Stein pushed the new pair of glasses up the bridge of his nose and took in his reflection in his bedroom mirror. Two large round sheets of glass reflecting the light and hiding his eyes from view. He quite liked the effect, the strange power of being able to watch people without them knowing. A small smile spread on his lips and he caught movement in the corner of the mirror reflection. Spirit had stuck his head around his door, his face lighting up at the sight of Stein.

"You look so dorky-" Spirit was cut off by Stein's fist hitting him square in the face, causing him to recoil backwards.

"Now, now, Spirit, you know better than to mock someone for having a visual impairment." Stein pointed out as Spirit rubbed at his sore nose with a scowl. Stein gave him a smug smile, tilting his head to one side.

"You didn't have to punch me though!" Spirit announced, pushing his way into Stein's room and falling onto his neatly made bed, taking in the blank grey walls and plain white furniture, each of them crudely stitched together in a similar way to all the clothes Stein wore. Stein moved back to the mirror, standing so that he could also see Spirit in the reflection, his eyes absorbing the contrast of Spirit's black clothes and startling red hair against the white bed sheets. Suddenly, Spirit sat up, his eyes wide with excitement in that way which always pleased Stein. He had come to realise that Spirit had enough emotion in him to make up for the lack he expressed. Together, they evened each other out.

"Hey, Stein, you'll never guess what I heard." Spirit said, his eyebrows rising in happiness over the fact that he knew something that Stein didn't.

"What did you hear?" Stein said in a deadpan tone, trying to hide the curiosity he really felt.

"I heard that Marie Mjolnir likes you. Gary overheard her saying she thinks she might be in love with you." Spirit announced and Stein turned away from the mirror, recalling the blonde haired girl with the cheery demeanour.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah… So are you gonna go for it?" Spirit asked, his face curious.

"If you are implying that I should form a romantic relationship with her then my answer is no. I do not reciprocate such feelings of love." Stein turned away from Spirit and sat at his desk, instead focussing on the textbook he had laid out. Spirit flopped back down on the bed with a sigh.

"Right… Hey, do you think that Kami likes me?" Spirit asked, tilting his head towards Stein's back. Stein was grateful for being turned away so that Spirit could not see the slight twinge of emotion that appeared on his face at the question.

"I don't know. Maybe." He replied and tried to focus back on his textbook, but the words seemed to be meaningless. Spirit could sense the withdrawal of Stein and felt a stab of guilt for bringing up Kami, although not quite understanding why. He looked away from Stein's hunched back to stare at the ceiling, his mind searching for words to say which would ease the unsettling atmosphere which had settled in the room. Instead, Stein broke the silence,

"Do you ask that because you have feelings for Kami?" The words were said casually in that even tone which revealed nothing; frustrating Spirit and making him frown up at the ceiling.

"I… I don't know." He replied honestly and then sat up quickly, desperate to keep the confusion he felt welling up inside him away. "I mean girls are… you know… girls… they're like sexy and stuff… yeah." Spirit attempted a small laugh but it lacked heart and soon even the smile seemed to die from his face. He looked at the floor, his fingers curling up on the side of Stein's bed tightly in frustration and confusion. He wanted Stein to look at him. He wanted to take the silver haired boy and shake him hard so that all his thoughts spilled out and revealed who he really was. He wanted to see those pale green eyes staring back right into his own soul, just as he had done all those years ago when they first met.

Spirit was sure that if Stein would only just take the time to really look at him, he would be able to see what he truly meant. Because surely it was engraved into his very soul by now, even if he himself couldn't quite find the way to understand it.

"Well, if you find Kami sexually attractive then maybe you should tell her." Stein said, his voice lower than usual and his movements slow as though he was trying to be very careful. As though he didn't want his real opinion to spill out. Spirit gave him a sad look, his fingers uncurling from the bed in defeat.

"Yeah, maybe… maybe another time I will," Spirit stood from the bed, forcing his face into a smile, "And maybe another time you and Marie can get together… since she thinks you are _oh, so sexy!_" Spirit put on a mocking voice and Stein was sure to chuck a pen in his direction for his cheekiness. Spirit gave a laugh and then left the room quickly before the confusing emotions could return.

Once his door has been closed, Stein closed the open textbook angrily. He pushed his chair backwards, its wheels rolling across his bedroom floor so that he came to a halt before his mirror. Stein raised a hand to his face and lightly touched the pale skin, running his fingertips across his features.

_Marie Mjolnir likes you._

Stein could feel the well of madness building up inside of him, the need to understand. He spread his lips into a sadistic smile and from behind the thick frames of his glasses, his eyes glinted dangerously.

…

Spirit straightened his jacket and pulled on his boots, ready to leave. His mind was still muddled up from the conversation he had shared with Stein the night before and he couldn't seem the shake the fuzzy static feeling that had settled within him. He glanced at the clock to distract himself and cursed.

"Stein! Hurry up, we're late for class again!" Spirit called up the stairs and heard Stein's bedroom door open and close, followed by his heavy footsteps on the stairs. "We might have to run if we want to make it on-"

Spirit froze where he stood, the words caught in his throat as Stein came to stand beside him. Spirit tried to look away but he couldn't, his blue eyes turning wide and bright with shock.

"WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE?" He finally exploded, grabbing Stein's arms tightly and pushing him back against the wall so that he could inspect the damage closely.

Stein's once pale face was dark with dried blood he hadn't quite washed off yet, the origin of it all being the large crimson cut running all the way from his forehead in a diagonal line across his face, splitting his face in half with its severity. Running up and down the deep line were uneven black stitches, holding the cut together and stopping most of the bleeding. Stein's eyes caught Spirit's from behind his glasses and there was such a sad finality in them that Spirit started to cry.

His tears were silent and angry, his grip tightening on the younger boys arms as he pulled him from the wall and pushed him into the kitchen. Spirit quickly wiped away his tears, ashamed at himself for not seeming stronger at such a time as this and then pushed the unresponsive Stein into one of the chairs as he searched the kitchen for the first aid kit.

Spirit then went to work on cleaning up Stein's face, gently washing away the dried blood and dabbing at the crudely carved cut, careful not to undo the stitches. Stein's eyes followed him as he worked but he stayed silent during the process. He simply watched the redhead fuss and worry over him, a feeling of shame eating away at him. He hadn't expected Spirit to cry. He didn't think he would care all that much and yet his response had been far greater than Stein could have imagined.

Spirit finished attending to Stein's face and then sat in the seat opposite from him, his face dropping into his hands and his fingers curling up tightly into locks of his fiery hair.

"Why did you do this to yourself?" He asked calmly.

"I was dissecting."

"ON YOURSELF?" Spirit's head snapped up and he brought a fist down on the kitchen table in anger. Stein brought a hand to his head and ran his fingers through his hair irritably.

"I couldn't understand. I wanted to understand how someone could find me physically attractive in the way that Marie does. I… I lost control again. I couldn't stop myself." Stein wished that Spirit hadn't taken away his glasses when he was cleaning his face; he longed to hide behind the lenses and not have to stare back at Spirit directly.

Spirit had fallen silent, his anger fading away to something far worse in his opinion. He moved his seat closer to Stein and reached one hand out to the younger boy, his fingers lightly brushing the unscarred cheek.

"Please don't cut yourself up again. If you feel yourself losing control then come find me. I can try and help." Spirit tried to give him a reassuring look, but Stein's gaze had dropped to the floor. His shoulders start to shake and there was a moment when Spirit thought he may be crying. But then his head rose, revealing the wide smile which was just enough to reopen a small part of his cut, a drop of blood running down his cheek like a teardrop.

"I'm sorry Spirit. But nothing ever helps. I can't stop it." Stein's eyes had turned wild again, his whole body shaking from laughter. Suddenly, he found himself falling backwards, his chair tipping and crashing to the floor where Spirit had kicked it. Stein rolled into a heap on the floor, the laughing stopped and the mad glint gone from his eye once more.

Spirit leant down and offered a hand, Stein giving it a wary glance before taking it in his and standing. Except instead of letting go, Spirit grasped the cold fingers tighter, the weapon pulling the Meister close so that their bodies collided in a sudden hug. Spirit refused to let go this time, holding Stein's body tightly against his own.

Stein's brain screamed at him to recoil away, to stay rigid and unresponsive until Spirit let him go. But somehow he chose not to listen. His body slackened, his head dropping forward to rest on Spirits shoulder, the drop of blood disappearing into the black material of his jacket. He felt infinitely sad and happy at the same time, which was something he couldn't understand. Stein squeezed his eyes closed tightly. He knew what happened to things he didn't understand, and even at that moment, the warmth of Spirits body against his own was not enough to banish the growing madness he felt within him. Emotions couldn't be dissected with a scalpel, but people could. And that was what scared him most of all.

"We don't need to go to class today. We're already top of the class anyway and we only need a few more souls until I can become a death scythe." Spirit said quietly and pulled away, his hands resting on Steins shoulders in order to look him in the eye. Stein nodded once and Spirit smiled, giving him one small pat then moving away.

Spirit made his way back up to his room, wondering how and why just a simple hug could have such an effect on him.

"It was just one hug." He muttered to himself, wringing his hands irritably. Yet once in the privacy of his room, he couldn't help but remember the feeling of Stein's hair tickling his neck and smile.

…

**Ok guys, I hope you liked this chapter! They seem to be recognising they have feelings for each other at least, even if they don't quite understand it at the time. I guess you'll have to wait and see at what point they actually admit such feelings! **

**Anyways, for the lovely jubbly people who left me reviews:**

**Lazy Gaga: I'm glad you liked the last chapter, it's nice to know that people are enjoying the story otherwise I kind of lose hope in it XD Thanks for the review and I'll try and keep my updates really quick! :D**

**.Minds: Thank you for the review, I really appreciate it (no, seriously I'm sad enough to actually get excited about reviews). And thanks for giving constructive criticism too, it's nice to know how I can improve with my writing and especially with the story considering you guys are the ones that get to read it! Now that they are a bit older I think I have started to hit on their emotions a bit more, and this chapter is a bit longer too so I hope you like it. Thanks! :D**

**Please leave more reviews and let me know if you like the chapter/story so far! :D**

**P.S. I don't think you care that much but if anyone was wondering, the lyrics I have used at the top of every chapter so far are from the song Guns & Horses by Ellie Goulding. **


	4. Aged 16 and 17

_It's time to come clean and make sense of everything,_

_It's time that we found out who we are,_

_Because when I'm standing here in the dark,_

_I see your face in every star._

**Aged 16 and 17**

The scythe was cool and heavy in Stein's palms, his fingers grasping it tighter than he usually did so that his knuckles turned white. But Spirit seemed not to notice and it was only a second before he was transforming back into human form, his soul pulling away and his form slipping from Stein's grasp in an almost painful motion for the Meister. Spirit gave Stein a wide grin, his usual jovial self as he grasped for the glowing red soul they could now rightfully claim.

"That fight was intense, but we're getting so close now!" Spirit pushed the red orb into his mouth and swallowed it whole before turning to give another smile at Stein, "I can almost taste the promotion to death scythe!" He announced and tilted his head to one side with a small laugh.

Stein did not attempt a smile back, his face dropping to the ground so that his silver hair fell forward over his glasses. He clenched his fists shut, his fingers longing for the cool black metal once more. Spirit's smile faltered slightly and he shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers in a slightly frustrated way.

"Let's go back." Stein said in a low voice and turned on his heel, quickly stalking off in the opposite direction. Spirit gave a loud sigh and rolled his eyes before chasing after Stein, who had lit up a cigarette, the trail of smoke flowing over his shoulder as he stalked away.

"Hey, what's the rush?" Spirit announced, his tone jolly but his attempts only bouncing off the brick wall Stein seemed to have built around himself. They started walking through the park, the trees looming over the two of them in the darkness and the laughing moon providing little light in the gloom. Spirit shivered but couldn't tell if it was from his surroundings or Stein's frosty nature he had adopted. He breathed in a cloud of Stein's second hand smoke and gave a smile of nostalgia.

"Do you remember when we first smoked in this park? It seems like forever ago really." Spirit's voice was distant, his blue eyes looking up at the night sky before drifting down the grey and white figure walking ahead unresponsive. He gave a frown, his brow furrowing in annoyance before he reached a hand out to grab Stein's shoulder. The younger teen's response was instant, his body whipping round and grabbing Spirit by his jacket, pushing him roughly against the tree. Stein's eyes were fierce and determined behind his glasses, not consumed by madness but by something else entirely.

"Hey, what the fuck? Put me down!" Spirit yelled, pushing at Stein's chest so that his clasp unfurled and Spirit was free once more. Stein looked away and took a step back, seeming apologetic yet still refusing to speak. Spirit's anger rose within him, his eyes narrowing, "Are you gonna explain to me why you're acting like a complete dick when I've done nothing wrong?" He shouted and couldn't help but see the slight twitch of a reaction on Stein's face.

"I apologise. I acted out of line." Stein said and then pulled out the pack of cigarettes from his pocket, quickly lighting another and taking a long drag.

"What's wrong? Why are you acting so fucked up towards me?" Spirit's anger was starting to waver, his face relaxing into that concern he always seemed to have deep down for Stein. Stein himself seemed to be considering what to say, his finger rising to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Eventually he gave a small sigh and took one last drag of his cigarette before extinguishing it.

"You're going to become a death scythe soon." He pointed out and Spirit shrugged his shoulders, not understanding the relevance of the fact. "When you do, then what will I do?" Stein finally looked at Spirit properly, his eyes meeting his in the darkness yet they were carefully blank, giving nothing away. Spirit's mouth dropped open as he struggled to find something to say, eventually taking a step closer to his Meister.

"You don't need to worry about that. You are the strongest Meister in the whole academy, you know that. Even if Lord Death does choose to use me, you will be able to find a new weapon to pair with easily." Spirit gave a reassuring smile and patted Stein on his shoulder but the green eyes staring back at him did not seem comforted.

"I don't… I don't mean like that." Stein said in his deadpan tone, his gaze finally dropping to the floor as if in shame. Spirit cocked his head to one side in confusion.

"What do you mean then?" He asked and Stein gave him a quick glance, taking in the curious face and the strands of red hair falling messily over one of his eyes. Quick as a whip, Stein's hand had reached out to his face, cool white fingers brushing Spirit's skin and moving the hair from out of his face before Stein's hand returned to his side. His eyes searched Spirit's long and hard in a way that made Spirit's breath catch in his chest. For the first time in a long time it seemed that Stein was really _seeing _him, looking right into his very soul as though they were only just meeting for the first time.

And then Stein had taken a step closer, his body almost touching Spirit's, teasing him. And his hands were once more grasping onto Spirit's jacket, although instead of pushing him away, this time he pulled him forward, his lips searching for his until they were kissing, Steins grip tightening at the feel of soft lips on his own.

But the moment was cut short as Spirit pushed back, his heart beating in fear as he turned wide blue eyes on his Meister. Except things weren't the same anymore. Stein was not just his Meister, Stein was his friend, Stein was… his love? Spirit was confused and scared but most importantly of all, he was relieved. It was all he ever wanted. To be loved by the one person he thought incapable of giving him love. And now it was happening he didn't know what to do, he was more terrified than he had ever been in any fight. And here was Stein, his dark green eyes searching for his own under bangs of messy silver hair, the pink and black scar across his face; he was so beautiful.

And so Spirit decided to go against his common sense and to close the distance he had made between the two of them. His hands reached up to take Stein's face and his lips softly met Stein's, both of them more prepared now so able to savour every little bit of it. Spirit moved his lips faster against Stein's and a small smile broke their kiss when he felt the seductive bite of Stein's teeth on his lower lip. They moved backwards together so that Stein's back hit a tree trunk, his hands slipping around Spirits waist to pull his body closer as the older teen sank his fingers into Stein's hair.

The kiss was everything Stein had wanted yet had never been able to understand. His body was craving Spirit's, his heart beat harder than it ever had. The feeling was close to madness yet at the same time he had never felt further from it. How could he have gone for so long without this?

There was a break in their kissing, Stein's lips feeling abandoned as Spirit's moved away.

"I don't think I'm capable of love, but I think this is the closest I will ever come to it." Stein said and it came out as a whisper, his words hanging in the still night air. Spirit froze slightly where he stood, his face dropping in realisation of what it was he had actually done. Suddenly he stepped back, releasing himself from Stein's grip and dropping his head, hitting his forehead hard as though to knock some sense into himself.

What was he doing? He wasn't gay, he couldn't be. Stein was just… Stein was his Meister. Spirit screwed up his eyes tightly, a small tear escaping and rolling down his cheek. Stein was his Meister and Stein was _wrong. _Spirit knew Stein better than everyone else and he knew that there was something not right with him, something hidden deep down. Surely, the feelings he had for him were nothing more than pity and concern. It couldn't be love. He wasn't in love with Stein, he wouldn't let himself be.

"Spirit…" Stein made no advance towards him and Spirit did not dare look up at his face in case it was all it took for him to realise his true feelings. He took another step back, the pain in his chest giving the impression that he was attached to Stein, and every step away would only hurt him more.

"I… I have to think. I'm sorry, I can't." Spirit turned quickly and walked away, his insides crying and longing for him to turn back, to find himself back in Stein's arms. But his legs kept walking steadily onwards. He didn't love Stein. He couldn't. Yet his heart refused to let go.

Stein watched him walk away, his lips tingling in memory of Spirits and his hands feeling cold and empty again. He always seemed to be left cold and empty. As Spirit grew smaller in the distance, his madness grew larger until the softness in his eyes had turned bright and hard, his head turning upwards to the night sky. A sinister looking moon laughed down at him mockingly and Stein opened his mouth and laughed right back.

…

Spirit knew that sleep was the last thing he would be able to manage. And yet he lay in his bed with his eyes closed as though that could block out what was going on inside his head. With a reluctant sigh he sat up and got out of bed, making his way to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

As he came down the stairs his heart skipped a beat at the sight of Stein sprawled out on the sofa. He was still fully clothed, his shoes muddying up the arm rest and his glasses lying uneven across his face. Spirit wondered what time he had finally come home and although he knew he should just leave him, he couldn't help but move further away from the kitchen and closer to Stein. He crouched by the sofa, his face close to Stein's so that he could study his features carefully. Even in sleep, the teen seem troubled, as though peace was never quite attainable. His mouth twitched into a frown and Spirit longed to hold out a finger and touch the pink lips. Instead he reached out and removed the glasses from his face, instantly making Stein look younger than he actually was, as though he was just a sleeping child. Spirit then stood and carefully removed his shoes, dropping the muddy boots onto the floor and standing over his Meister until he couldn't bare the sight of his sleeping form any longer.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, and although it was spoken softly, Stein's eyes twitched and slowly flickered open, two green orbs focussing on Spirit. Spirit was suddenly painfully aware that he wasn't wearing a shirt and blushed slightly, turning to move away. Stein's arm reached out and grabbed his own, his fingers tightening and pulling him back. Spirit glanced at him from behind locks of dark red hair, his eyes sadly closing shut before he let himself be pulled closer. Stein moved back on the sofa, making room so that Spirit could lie beside him, their faces inches away from each other.

"I'm sorry." Spirit repeated himself and as he looked away from Stein, a small tear dropped onto the sofa, staining the cushion dark.

"I'm sorry too… I promised I wouldn't cut myself to you…" Stein said and then wriggled about on the small sofa as he removed his shirt, revealing the fresh new stitches running up and down his pale chest. Spirit's mouth dropped open sadly, his fingers gently tracing the lines across the soft skin and sending shivers down Stein's spine. Stein grabbed at his fingers and pulled them away, his cheeks blushing pink at the sensation of Stein's hand in his own.

He looked up and caught the bright blue of Spirit's gaze, his wide eyes shining from his tears and his mouth turned downwards sadly. Stein leant forward and kissed his lips once, the action intended to make his weapon seem happier. He just wanted Spirit to be happy again. And although Spirit's usual smile did not appear, he did lean in for another kiss. And this time he really meant it, moving his lips hungrily and wrapping his hands around Steins waist to pull him closer. Spirit could feel Stein's rough stitches on his own bare chest and he pulled Stein in tighter, as though his own body could fix his.

Stein grasped at Spirit's shoulders and rolled him onto his back, his own body pinning his weapon down onto the sofa and his mouth moving to kiss and bite on Spirit's neck. Spirit gasped in pleasure and tried to ignore the thoughts buzzing his mind that threatened to interrupt the cravings of his body. In rebellion to his head, his fingers started to trace their way down the sides of Stein's waist, his thumbs hooking under his belt and pulling slightly. Stein stopped his kissing to look up at Spirit. His eyes were wild and alive, understanding completely what Spirit intended.

As his lips collided once more with Spirits, and his own hands moved further down the red heads body, the two of them finally decided to leave their minds behinds and to give in to the lust.

…

**Hooray! They finally show their love, even if Spirit seems a little terrified by the whole idea.**

**Thanks to LazyGaga for your review!**

**Please leave more reviews folks. Anything is welcome ^.^ (Apart from flames. Flames shall be used to roast my marshmallows)**

**By the way, if you were wondering, then I totally see Stein as the Seme here, sorry Spirit! XD**


	5. The Next Day

_Play it down,_

_Pretend you can't take what you found,_

_But you found me…_

**The next day**

Spirit woke in Stein's arms, the soft tickle of his Meister's breath tickling the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine. Memories of the night before came crashing down on him and he felt a wave of regret wash over him.

As careful as he could, he unwrapped himself from Stein's grasp and quickly pulled on his underwear. He looked down at the sleeping Stein, his silver hair falling messily over his eyes and his scarred chest rising and falling slowly in sleep. It hurt Spirit to look at him so he turned away, his fingers desperately running through his hair. He needed to wash, he felt dirty, so hideously disgusting for the things he had done. _How could he have let himself go so far with Stein? Was it because he loved him?_

Spirit quickly headed to the kitchen and splashed cold water on his face, the shock of it distracting his thoughts for just a second. He turned two blue eyes out towards the window, watching the grotesque sun pant in the cloudless sky. He would never admit he was in love Stein.

Almost as if on cue, Spirit heard the soft patter of feet behind him and he turned to see Stein enter the kitchen, wearing the same crumpled trousers from the day before. He didn't attempt to smile or approach Spirit, instead he gave a small nod in his direction before unfolding his glasses and hiding his eyes behind the thick lenses.

"Morning." He said in a low voice and Spirit looked down at the floor, his shoulders slumping.

"Look… Stein… Last night…" Spirit dared a glance upwards but only grimaced at the open look on Stein's face. "Last night was… a mistake. I… I shouldn't have…"

"A mistake?" Stein tilted his head, the light catching his glasses.

"I'm not gay… I can't be… I mean, I like girls." Spirit was aware of how stupid he sounded and he gave a painfully awkward laugh in the silence of the room.

"You are aware that some people are able to have sexual attraction to both males and females aren't you?" Stein asked him in that matter-of-fact voice which raised Spirit's temper just slightly.

"I know what a bisexual is Stein!" He glowered and then blushed red at the blank gaze he received back, "I just… I don't think I quite understand what I feel yet." Spirit turned on his heel, putting his back to Stein and resting his shaking hands on the worktop to steady himself. He was angry at Stein for not understanding. He was angry at himself for feeling that way in the first place.

There was a moment of silence and then all of a sudden, Spirit felt the cool whisper of Stein's touch on his skin. His body turned tense as Stein's fingers lightly slithered around his sides, barely there but enough to make Spirit's breath catch in his throat. How had Stein become so close to him without him realising?

"I know how you feel," Stein's voice was low and whispered directly into Spirits ear, his warm breath contrasting the coolness of his fingers which were crawling their way around him, brushing against Spirits bare chest, "It's frustrating… not being able to understand. Especially when it comes to emotions… to matters of the heart," Stein's hand reached up to rest lightly where Spirit's heart was beating frantically, his palm pushing down on the skin to feel the beat, "Sometimes it's enough to drive you mad."

Stein smiled, his lips close to Spirits neck, as though he was a vampire, ready to spill his blood and turn the room as red as his beautiful hair. And then Spirit pulled away, his body detaching itself from Stein's touch and moving to the other side of the kitchen. He was physically shaking, although he was trying desperately to hide it. He turned two teary eyes up towards Stein and furrowed his brow in anger.

"I'm sorry." He said simply and then stormed out of the room, leaving Stein alone again.

Stein's smile slipped into a serious expression and his hands curled up into fists. He had to make Spirit see what was right; he had to help him _understand_… Stein froze in realisation of what it was he had to do. His blood pumped noisily in his ears and he could almost imagine the dark red liquid growing larger and brilliant inside his mind until all his thoughts were stained. His eyes became distant and unreachable as he rushed up to his bedroom to prepare.

…

Kami checked her reflection in a passing window as she walked down the street. A pretty teenage girl stared back, her long straight blonde hair falling neatly around dark green eyes. She gave a smile before moving onwards, a slight spring in her step. She was on her way to see Spirit after she had received a text from him earlier.

"_Hi Kami, I really need to see you as soon as possible. I love you. I'm sure of it, please come see me." _

The text had seemed a little forward and there something about it that had unsettled her at the time, but Kami had been sure to push those thoughts out of her mind. She had been waiting for this and now that he had finally confessed his feelings, she was not going to pass up the opportunity.

She approached the small house she knew he lived in with his Meister. Her nose scrunched up slightly at the thought of Stein. She couldn't understand how Spirit put up with someone as sadistic as him, he gave her the creeps. Shaking her head as if to remove the image of dead-eyed teen, she approached the door and knocked. After there was no response she tried again and then again louder after there was still no reply.

This time the door was swung open violently, making Kami jump back at the sight of Stein, his face angry and the front of his white shirt splattered in dark red blood.

"Kami? What did you want?" He asked her in a calm voice but the look on his face made him seem a lot more menacing than he sounded. Kami frowned and her gaze drifted over the blood splatter, a shiver running down her spine.

"I'm- I'm here to see Spirit." She tried to sound brave, her arms crossing across her chest defiantly. Stein cocked his head to one side in confusion.

"Why?" He asked and Kami wished he would stop asking questions and would just let her see Spirit.

"He text me, asking to see me."

"He did?" Stein's eye twitched slightly as he realised that Spirit had resorted to using Kami as a way to persuade himself of his heterosexuality. His shoulders slumped slightly in disappointment; he had thought Spirit was stronger than that.

"Yeah, so… can I see him now or…"Kami had seen the slight softening in Stein's demeanour and it gave her a bit more courage.

"He's not here. He's out."Stein replied quickly, his gaze dropping to the ground and instantly giving away the fact that he was lying. Kami gave a sigh and raised her eyebrows sceptically.

"Well, I'm sure you won't mind me waiting for him until he returns." She said and then, before he could stop her, she had pushed past him and entered the house, leaving an alarmed looking Stein in her wake. She caught a glimpse of light coming from under the kitchen door and reached for the door handle, only stopping when she felt Stein's harsh grip on her arm holding her back. She swung round to face him, her body colliding with his own.

"Please leave, Kami." Stein's voice was demanding and he looked down at her, the reflection on his glasses giving away and revealing two deadly serious eyes.

"Why? What's in there?" Kami asked suspiciously but Stein simply stared back at her, his grip tightening on her arm in a painful way. She scowled at him and then in one quick action, punched Stein as hard as she could in the gut, causing his grip to relax as he bent over in pain. Kami broke free and burst into the kitchen, her body freezing in shock at what awaited her.

Spirit was lay out on the kitchen table, his chest covered in blood from the huge deep cuts that were running up and down his skin, each of them crudely sewn back together in the same fashion as all of Stein's dissections.

Kami turned back round to face Stein who had raised his hands as if to apologise or explain but she was not going to allow him to do either. She quickly raised a fist and punched him again, except this time she hit him square in the face, his hands flying to his nose which, after a second started to pour blood.

"You sick bastard!" She cried out and then rushed to Spirit's side, shaking his shoulders in an attempt to wake him.

"He's… drugged." Stein managed to splurt out from behind his hand, which was now drenched in his own blood. Kami glared back at him before quickly rushing to the kitchen sink and filling a glass full of ice cold water. She chucked the water over Spirit, drenching him in the coldness and startling him awake. He attempted to sit up and then fell back in pain, crying out as he took in the sight of his sewn up chest.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" He yelled and Kami quickly placed a calming palm on his forehead, brushing away the wet strands of dark red hair.

"Stay lying down. That fucked up Meister of yours has been dissecting you." She told him and Spirit's eyes turned wide and scared, his head turning in Stein's direction. The blood now stopped, Stein moved his hand away, revealing a face stained dark red by drying blood.

"Spirit-senpai…" He began but Spirit interrupted him.

"What the hell have you done?" He shouted furiously and Stein flinched under the harsh tone.

"I was trying to understand the matters of your heart. I wanted to understand how you could love me one second and then leave me the next. That was all I was trying to achieve." Stein took a step backwards, his back hitting the wall and helping the dizzy spell he was having settle just a little.

"What is he talking about?" Kami asked, her eyes wide and frantic as she looked between the two of them. Spirit felt his heart skip a beat and he scrambled for words to say that would make things all better.

"Ignore him Kami. He's… he's messed up. We should get out of here…" Spirit struggled to sit up and Kami put her hands around him, helping him off the table. Stein felt something drop inside of him, as though he was on a rollercoaster that had just taken its biggest plunge. Spirit glared at him from across the room, his face angry but those bright blue eyes shining from something different entirely.

"Stay away from me Stein… Do you hear me? Do- do you… understand?" Spirits voice cracked slightly and although Kami thought it was due to anger, Stein could see that it was from hurt. Spirit was hurting just as much as he was, it was just that he didn't dare to admit it. "We can't be partners anymore. I can't do this. I can't…" Spirit dropped his head from view, his eyes squeezing shut in an attempt to hold back the hot angry tears which were clouding his vision. _Why did Stein have to look at him like that? Why did he have to make him feel so fucking terrible for leaving?_

"If… if that is what you wish. Then so be it." Stein's voice was quiet and even, his hands pressing against the wall for support and his mouth turning dry, as though the words had soaked up everything he had in him.

"Come on Spirit, this guy is a sicko." Kami glared daggers in Stein's direction and then helped guide Spirit out towards the door. A second before he disappeared from view, Spirit's head rose and his eyes caught Stein's. Stein felt that instant connection that had always come so easily with each other, that had always felt so right when their souls had resonated in battle, or when their lips had touched in kissing. He saw into Spirit's soul and as the door closed shut behind them, he hoped it wouldn't be for the last time.

Now alone in the kitchen, his white clothes and skin tainted dark with the drying blood, Stein sank to the floor as his legs collapsed beneath him. He pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, the grey smoke spiralling around in the air and making silly patterns he couldn't tell were real or not. He closed his eyes but the patterns were still there, blood red and dancing around his thoughts like a disease. His chest hurt in a different way to the pain in his gut and nose from the punches. His breath caught, his brain finally realising he was alone once more, and a single tear ran down his cheek.

…

**I can't really stand soppy lovey dovey stories in which they fall in love instantly and live happily ever after. Because let's face it, we both know that is NOT what happens between Spirit and Stein. So I'm sorry for making this so angsty and morbid and probably depressing for any SteinxSpirit shippers (Hell, I ship them so hard and even I'm getting depressed by writing this story). But I promise not to leave this story on this awful note, expect another 1 or 2 chapters after this one!**

**Anyways, to all the lovely people who reviewed:**

**Lazy Gaga: More angst for you in this chapter, haha! I am the ANGST QUEEN. Oh god, I should stop. Thanks for your review :D**

**DeathTheKitty: I'm so glad to have converted you to a SteinxSpirit lover, they are definitely one of my OTP's so I like to share my love with other people XD And thank you for your nice review! I have actually only ever seen the anime (although I vow to get round to reading the manga once I get the time) so I would say it's more canon with the anime. :P**

**Bananas: Thank you! It's great to hear that people are enjoying the story, otherwise I come to the conclusion that it sucks and kind of lose the will to write XD**

**Night13: Yup, I seem to be incapable of writing HAPPY love stories, they all end up sad! XD Thanks for your review though and I promise the next chapter will be a bit happier :D**

**Please leave more reviews and make me smile! :D**


	6. Aged 23 and 24

_I left my house,_

_Left my clothes,_

_Door wide open,_

_Heaven knows,_

_You're so worth it, you are…_

**Aged 23 and 24**

Stein walked down the darkened street of Death City, his boots making heavy sounds on the cobbles. There was that underlying familiarity about the city that he told himself he never missed, when deep down he had. Many years had passed away from here and, now returning, there was that sense of home he couldn't quite shake.

He had already been back in the city for several days now, except he had not yet decided to walk this way until tonight. Truth be told, he was intimidated by the very idea of walking this way, knowing whose house he would come upon.

And yet that night he felt strangely confident. He took a drag of his cigarette, his other hand burying deep into his lab coat pocket and he continued on down the street, stopping only when the familiar house came into view. The curtains were drawn against the dark outside, the warm glow of yellow light peeking through the gaps onto the street. Stein made his way up to the door, extinguishing his cigarette and raising his hand to knock. He paused, reluctant to actually make his thoughts a reality and to bring his knuckles to the wood. And in that briefest pause, his choice was taken from him as the door was flung open and away from his waiting hand.

Startled by the imposing figure stood in his doorway, Spirit gave a small yelp and jumped back, tripping over his own feet and falling to the floor in the process. He scrunched up his face in pain and looked up at the figure looming over him. A man in a baggy grey jumper and a long white lab coat stood before him, each of his garments crudely sewn together in a style that was unmistakeable.

"St-Stein?" Spirit managed to stammer out and the figure stepped forwards into the light of the hallway, the light glinting off his glasses and also off the large metallic screw which appeared to have been driven through his skull.

"Holy shit! What happened to your head?" Spirit cried out and Stein couldn't help but give a small chuckle, his hand subconsciously rising to turn the metal head of the screw a few clicks.

"It helps me to focus my thoughts... And nice to see you too Spirit." Stein said with a smile and clicked his screw once more, making Spirit shudder slightly. Stein held out a hand and Spirit took it, their skin touching again after so many years. Once pulled back to his feet, Spirit gave a wary smile.

"Long time, no see, Stein."

"Indeed." Stein couldn't help but notice how little the years had changed Spirit. Of course, he now wore a suit, his black tie characteristically shaped like a cross, but his eyes still remained youthful and his whole demeanour represented that of a small child. Stein could feel a fond smile forming on his lips and he quickly corrected himself so as not to give anything away.

"I didn't know you were back in Death City." Spirit asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Yes, I am to settle here now. I have bought a lab on the outskirts... I plan to conduct some research there." Stein's eyes became slightly distant and Spirit tried not to imagine what he meant by 'research'.

"That's great!" Spirit smiled, trying to calm the rapid beating of his heart. Stein was to live in Death City once more. And it was just when Spirit had finally thought he had gotten over him. Although as much as he tried to convince himself that those old feelings were long gone, he couldn't deny the painful ache in his chest that seemed to pull towards the younger man, wanting him so badly.

"We should go for a walk... Kami will be back soon with Maka." Spirit said, shaking his head as if to focus his thoughts and for the briefest second, feeling slightly jealous of Stein's screw.

"Ahh... She still hates me I presume?" Stein said in his monotone, stepping backwards as Spirit left the house and closed the door behind him.

"Well... Let's just say she wouldn't be pleased to see you back." Spirit scratched the back of his head. A silent moment passed and Spirit wondered if Stein hated Kami as much as she hated him. It _had_ partly been her fault the two of them had become so distant. Before he could think about it any further, Stein was speaking,

"How are things between you and Kami?"

"I... Well..." Spirit grimaced and looked away at the ground as they started to walk off down the street, "Things aren't too great at the moment. We have been having a lot of arguments. I think she feels a little tied down and I…I never was a guy for commitment." Spirit shoved his hands into his black trouser pockets and Stein saw the slight slump in his shoulders.

"And this Maka? I am presuming she is the child Kami was pregnant with when I left?" Stein asked.

"Oh, yes!" Spirit seemed to come alive at the mention of his daughter's name, a wide grin spreading on his face as he pulled out his wallet. "She's beautiful! The most beautiful child I've ever seen, my Maka!" Spirit pulled out a photo from his wallet and held it up to Stein, who did not touch it but instead peered at it closely through the lenses of his glasses.

The photo showed a young girl of about 5 or 6 hugging Spirit around his neck. Stein blinked in the darkness, unable to unsee the likeness the small child held to her mother.

"Yes. An endearing child." Stein managed to mumble and Spirit pulled it back to look fondly at the image himself.

"I wish... I wish things were better with her mother for her sake. But I honestly don't see our marriage lasting at the rate it's going now." Spirit's smile faltered, his eyes turning shiny in the moonlight, leaving Stein unable to look away.

"Do you love her?" Stein asked and the question seemed to hang in the air between them, buzzing around like an annoying bug.

"I... I thought I did. And I suppose I do love her to some extent. But... She was never my one true love." Spirit found himself unable to look at Stein and he prayed the darkness would not give away the fact that his cheeks had turned as crimson as his hair.

"I see." Stein stated, his own hands delving deep into his lab coat pockets in an attempt to stop him reaching out to Spirit, to touch him again in the way he longed to.

"Why did you leave?" Spirit suddenly asked, emotion making his voice catch slightly before he continued, "You were the best meister in the whole academy. You even worked well with Marie after I partnered with Kami. But you still left."

"I had to. This place wasn't good for my madness. I could stand it for a while, but it was difficult... Without you." Stein was careful not to reveal any emotion but his words still hit hard with Spirit, who found himself moving closer to Stein so that their shoulders brushed as they walked along.

"Could you ever forgive me?" Spirit asked quietly and Stein stopped suddenly, Spirit taking one or two steps before realising and turning to the stationary meister. A gust of wind blew down the street, Stein's silver hair moving over his eyes and his white lab coat hugging his legs in the breeze.

"You have done nothing that needs to be forgiven sempai." Stein said, his head tilting ever so slightly, "It was I who drove you away with my madness, with my... Affection." Stein seemed to have difficulty speaking the last word, his head falling slightly to face the ground.

Suddenly spirit had stormed up to him, his face angry and determined.

"Don't you dare!" He cried and gave Stein a heavy shove, causing him to stumble backwards obediently. Spirit took another step, "Don't you fucking dare say that!" He gave another shove, this time causing Stein to fall back against a wall heavily, his face remaining unresponsive. Spirit grasped at the fabric of his grey jumper, "Don't you fucking make it sound as though I felt _nothing_ for you! I fucking _loved you_! Don't make it sound as though my feelings meant nothing in all this!" Spirit shouted, his mind and body exploding with the confession, and as if in support, the gusty weather turned worse, heavy raindrops falling from the overcast sky as thunder rolled off in the distance.

The two men stayed frozen in their position, Spirit breathing heavily from his outburst and his fists still firmly pushing Stein against the wall. Stein still remained carefully emotionless although his insides buzzed and grew out of control. He felt the need to turn his screw, to focus his thoughts but something stopped him. Instead he forced himself to make eye contact with Spirit, the fierceness of the red head's glare burning into his very soul.

They were becoming drenched, the rain plastering locks of red and grey hair to their foreheads, blurring Stein's glasses and soaking through Spirit's suit.

"After all these years... Some things never change." Stein whispered in a low voice and his hand reached upwards, fingers curling around the knot of Spirit's tie, pulling him closer...

A burst of voices in the distance made both the men jump, Spirit quickly stepping backwards so that Stein's grasp on him slipped. A moment later, a group of friends rushed around the corner, splashing through the newly formed puddles and complaining about the change in weather. As they moved off into the distance, silence fell between Spirit and Stein, the heavy raindrops hitting Stein's pale skin and making Spirit shiver in his drenched clothes.

"Standing in this rain will do no good." Stein stated.

"Kami will be back at my place by now..." Spirit wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to keep back the cold.

"My lab isn't far, let's go there."

…

Stein had started up the fire, its warm glow lighting up the room and drying out the clothes which lay out in front of it. Spirit sat by its warmth in his underwear, looking around at the sewn up furniture which gave him a slightly nostalgic feel. He smiled and Stein walked into the room carrying two grey blankets.

Steins gaze slipped over the scar across Spirit's chest and he felt a wave of regret, quickly handing him a blanket, which he draped over his shoulders.

"This place is just how I imagined it would be." Spirit said as Stein sat beside him wrapped in his own blanket. The red head turned to give him a smile, the light from the fire casting soft shadows across his face.

"Yes, I think I will like living here." Stein took off his glasses and placed them by the rest of his clothes to dry the lenses. He turned two olive eyes back to Spirit, his mouth parting slightly in surprise when he found Spirit's gaze already on him, intensely tracing the features of Steins face.

"Although I never admitted it... I missed you Stein." He said seriously, "And what I said earlier, I really meant it. I... I loved you." Spirit raised a hand to Steins face and he lightly traced the path of his scar with his fingertips.

A heartbeat of a second passed, only the crackling of the firewood breaking the silence as the two held their breaths.

Stein made the first move, the blanket slipping from his shoulders as he swiftly moved forward, his hands instantly tangled in Spirit's still damp hair. He pulled Spirit towards him, their lips colliding in an almost desperate motion, as though time was against them.

Spirit's heart was sent into overtime as he felt the frantic pumping of blood move throughout his body. His hands slipped behind Stein's neck in order to push his lips harder against his own, his mouth rejoicing at the soft lips and the sly tongue brushing by his teeth. There was nothing soft or careful about their kiss, and their touch on each other's skin seemed hot and cold and needy.

Stein's grip released from Spirit's hair, his hands instead moving to his shoulders and pushing him backwards so that Spirit lay on the ground, Stein pinning him down with a firm grasp on his wrists. Stein moved his kisses downwards, his tongue briefly slipping over the scar on his chest and causing Spirit to breathe out a sigh of pleasure.

"I waited so long for you..." Spirit said quietly and Stein moved back up his body so that they were face to face.

"I'll make it worth the wait." Stein whispered almost menacingly into the red heads ear, his lips then finding Spirit's again for another passionate kiss.

Stein released the wrists which had turned sore under his vicious grasp and as he slipped one hand under Spirit's underwear, the kiss was broken with a gasp of pleasure. Stein smiled at Spirit's blushing face before he felt his own body tingle with the desperate touch of Spirits fingers and in the orange glow of the fire he went in to kiss once more.  
>...<p>

When the morning came and Spirit found himself lying under the blankets in Stein's arms, he did not feel the wave of regret he had dreaded. Instead he felt this overwhelming sense of belonging, as though he would be uncomfortable any other place. He turned to face the sleeping Stein, his silver eyelashes flickering from a dream and one of his hands self consciously resting on the large metal screw. Spirit leant forward and carefully planted a single kiss on the man's cheek, cautious not to disturb him and break the moment of peace.

He rested his head back down and his blue eyes drifted to the similar colour of the morning sky through the window. A new day. He couldn't help but feel a little sad that the moment would end. That soon he would have leave the sleeping man beside him and return home. _He always seemed to leave._

Spirit gave a sigh, his warm breath blowing at silver strands of Stein's hair and tickling his forehead, causing the meister to stir and then slowly open his eyes. Still hazy from sleep, Stein rubbed at one of his eyes and then fixed his gaze on the wide eyed Spirit.

"You're still here." Stein stated and he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I am," Spirit gave a sad smile, "but we both know I can't stay."

Stein blinked, his face remaining calm as he reached out a hand to smooth down the red hair which now stuck out in messy angles as a result of the night before.

"I understand." Stein said and there was such finality in the statement, Spirit could almost feel the words beating off his chest and stinging at his eyes.

And Stein did understand. Finally. There was no need to turn the screw in his head, or to dissect the people involved. He truly did understand. As much as he wanted it, the two of them could never be together. Their relationship was one fated never to truly end but never to work out at the same time.

"I wish things could be different." Spirit moved so that his head rested against Stein, his hair tickling in the crook of his neck.

"It's better this way." Stein said and Spirit wished that he didn't sound so cold. It was as though he had already begun to distance himself once more. And Spirit wasn't quite ready to let go. Instinctively, Spirit's hand slid across Stein's chest, his fingers curling over his shoulder to hold him tightly.

Steins eyelids closed as he tried to commit Spirit's touch to memory, his warmth and the slight pressure he held on his shoulder. He wondered how long it would be until he could feel it again, if he ever did.

"I don't think I can bear to see you without wanting more." Spirit said in a low voice, his hair falling forward to cover his eyes from view.

"Then I shall keep my distance. I will stick to my work... The city is big, we could go months without seeing one another on its streets." Stein opened his eyes, the brightness of the room narrowing his irises to black pin pricks in a sea of olive green. Spirit tightened his grip on steins shoulder, his fingers painfully pushing down onto the pale skin.

"I'll miss you."

Stein raised his eyebrows up at the ceiling and gave his screw a few turns, the clicking of it seeming too loud in the quiet room.

"I'll miss you too sempai."

…

When Spirit left, Stein watched him from his window, his hot breath steaming up the glass and blurring the black and red figure as he grew smaller in the distance. Once he had completely disappeared from Stein's view, the meister turned to look around his lab. The same grey and black furniture stared back at him except this time he couldn't help but feel like the place was chillingly empty.

He frantically turned the screw in his head, fingers curling tightly around the cool metal in an attempt to calm the chaotic buzzing his thoughts seemed to have deteriorated to. Except his thoughts didn't calm. As much as he tried to convince himself that this was the right thing to do… his heart still cried for more.

…

**A bit of a time jump here but I'm sure you guys don't mind ^_^ I'm thinking that the next chapter will be the last one guys, so sorry about that and I'll try and get it done really soon so as not to keep you waiting as long as I did with this one -_-**

**Anyways, to the reviewers who make this story worth writing XD**

**Lazy Gaga: Yup, I'm just a depressing kind of gal and so all my stories do tend to be pretty bloody depressing XD I hope this one wasn't quite as sad as some of the others though! Thanks for your review ^.^**

**Night13: I know, DAMN THAT KAMI RUINING MY OTP. Haha, but as you can see here, she can't keep them apart forever can she? :P Thanks for your review! **

**Lilac01: Aww, thank you! I'm glad people are enjoying the story, it makes me feel glad when I manage to get people to love a pairing as much as I do ^_^ Thanks for your review!**

**IcedCherryHeart: Thank you! I'm not so much a fan of instant love stories either so I was determined to make this different to them :D Thanks for your review!**

**Please leave me more reviews folks so that I know what you think of this chapter! :D**


	7. Aged 29 and 30

_Open up,_

_Open up your heart to me now,_

_Let it all come pouring out,_

_There's nothing I can't take…_

**Aged 29 and 30**

Spirit's hand slipped underneath Stein's shirt, his fingers brushing against coarse stitches and smooth skin. Less than a second passed before Stein's cool fingers had grasped at Spirits, pulling his hand away from his body viciously.

"Who said you could touch me?" His voice asked menacingly, a teasingly mad smile spreading on his lips. Spirit raised his other hand to touch the lips only to have that hand tightly grabbed also, Stein restraining the twitching fingers with a grip of death. "Poor, poor Spirit. Who is in control now?" Stein's voice was distant, almost echoing, and his head dropped forward like a rag dolls, shadow covering his eyes so that all Spirit could see was the demented smile of the meister.

"Stein..." Spirit tried to say but something wasn't right. Fear and panic rose up in his gut as he watched a thin trickle of blood start to pour from in between Stein's teeth. The flow increased as the dark red liquid dripped from the gaps between his teeth, running down his chin to form a puddle on the floor. Spirit could swear he felt his fingers breaking under Stein's grip and as he went to cry out in pain, Stein threw back his head and laughed and laughed and laughed...

Spirit woke with a jump, his red hair sticking to his sweaty forehead and his mouth dry from fear. Once he had assured himself that he was in fact safe and it had all been a nightmare, he dropped his head into his hands with a sigh. It was the third night in a row he had had the nightmare. And it never stopped terrifying him.

He leapt out of bed to fetch a glass of water, his mind buzzing with the details of the dream. He knew the reason he kept having it. Several days ago, he had been informed that Stein would be working at the academy as a teacher, starting next week. He had been shocked, and when people had queried him about his reaction, he had told them he still feared the professor for all the experiments that he conducted on Spirit when they were younger. Spirit couldn't deny that there was an ounce of truth in that. He _did _still get shivers down his spine remembering the day he woke with his chest stitched together.

But that wasn't the real reason he had reacted so strongly to the news. The real reason was that if Stein was so close to him for so long, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from letting his heart, and his lust, get carried away. He wouldn't be able to hide his feelings any longer.

Spirit sighed and after taking a drink he went back to his empty bed to curl up under the covers. His arms wrapped around his body protectively, and for the first time since Kami left him, he felt really very alone. He wished Stein could be with him. He wished that over the last few years their relationship had been more than a few one night flings and longing glances when they passed on the street.

And then Kami had gone. And Maka had moved out to live with that obnoxious weapon of hers. And Spirit was alone for the first time in his life. The thought had occurred to him that he should come out into the open about his feelings. To let people know that all he wanted was to be with the silver haired man that haunted his dreams; and especially to let that man in particular know. But the weeks passed by and he found himself unable to take the leap, hoping he wouldn't see the meister on the street, hoping he would never have to confront the feelings that he kept bottled up inside.

He gave a groan of frustration and buried his head in his pillow, shutting his eyes tightly. But no matter how hard he pushed his eyelids together, he couldn't erase the image of Stein's olive gaze from his mind.

…

Stein found himself staring up at the classroom ceiling and after a moment of puzzlement, he realised that he had once again managed to tip his chair a little too far whilst rolling into the classroom on it. Undeterred, he pulled a text book from his lab coat pocket and opened it up to the right page, holding it up above his face.

"Now, everyone turn their books to page 45!" He called out to the stunned class, who simply stared back at the unusual looking professor who still lay sprawled out on the floor. After a second of no movement, Stein tilted his head backwards so that his silver hair fell back away from his forehead and the class glimpsed a flash of his hard stare from behind his glasses. There was an instant scuffle as everyone in the class hurried to find the right page, leaving Stein with a small smile on his face as he stood himself back up and sat back on his chair the wrong way round, his arms resting along the back of the chair as he rolled it into the centre of the classroom. His gaze glanced over some familiar faces, who looked practically petrified of him after the fight they had taken part in not too long ago and he tried not to smirk.

Among them was Maka, the young girl's green glare staring defiantly back at him. _She's so stubborn… just like her mother_, Stein instantly thought and then turned the screw in his head a few clicks to bring his attention back to the text book.

"Hello class, I'm your new professor. You can call me Professor Stein."

…

As the students filed out at the end of the lesson, Stein watched them with a slight wave of nostalgia washing over him. It was so long since he had been at the academy. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the students, Stein heard a familiar voice from outside the door,

"Oh, Maka! How was your lesson? Tell daddy all about it, I want to know ev-"

"Go away!" Stein heard Maka retaliate and a small chuckle escaped as he heard Spirit shouting after her.

"That's alright, honey! I'll let you have your space. I know you need to study! Daddy's so proud!"

Stein moved to the door and opened it to reveal a shocked looking Spirit, who jumped back at the sudden appearance of Stein beside him. His blue eyes darted around the hallway nervously and Stein could see him start to panic although he couldn't quite understand why.

"Good morning, Spirit." He said calmly and Spirit seemed to be struggling to come up with a response.

"S-Stein, hi, I mean… yeah." Spirit stuttered and gave a nervous laugh, his hand scratching at the back of his head. Stein cocked his head to one side in confusion,

"What's wrong? Why are you acting so scared?" He asked and Spirit raised his eyebrows.

"Scared? What? No, no, no, I'm not… scared." He babbled out, his head turning to look around the hallway once again. Stein gave a small sigh and then quickly grasped at the older man's tie, pulling him into the classroom and closing the door behind them.

"There, we're alone now. Are you going to stop panicking so much?" Stein asked him and after a moment of hesitation, Spirit gave out a long, exasperated sigh, his face dropping into his hands.

"I'm sorry. It's just, you're here now and… and what if people notice? About us, I mean?" Spirit mumbled through his fingers and Stein took a step closer to him, his hand reaching up to curl around one of Spirit's, pulling it gently away from his face and revealing one shiny blue eye and half a frown.

"And if they do notice?" Stein said quietly, his fingers squeezing Spirit's ever so slightly, "Would that really be such a bad thing?"

Spirits gaze flitted about Stein's face and he lowered his other hand to place it gently on Stein's chest, his fingers splaying out against the dark fabric. He tipped his head forward so that his vision filled with red hair, his thoughts hitting him at a hundred miles an hour. This was exactly what he was so scared about. And he didn't know what to do.

"I still love you." He said eventually and he felt Stein take a step closer.

"Then stop being so afraid to show it. Let other people know." He said and he placed a single kiss on the red heads forehead, his lips barely skimming Spirits skin and driving the weapon into a frenzy. But then Stein was moving away, Spirit's fingers slipping away from his chest and their hands untangling as Stein made his way towards the classroom door. As his hand rested on the handle, he turned back to Spirit with a serious look on his face.

"I still love you too." He said and then exited the room.

…

Spirit's footsteps were loud in the empty corridor leading to Shinigami- sama's head room. He tried to stop shaking like he had been ever since his encounter with Stein an hour before, but he couldn't seem to calm his emotions. He was all over the place and what he really wanted was to just go home and sort his head out about the whole situation. But he couldn't, he was a death scythe now, and he had to honour his loyalties.

He entered the room and Shinigami-sama turned away from the long, golden framed mirror to greet him.

"Ah, Spirit! How are you?" Came his cheery voice from behind the cartoonish white skull mask he wore. Spirit attempted a smile, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets so that Shinigami-sama wouldn't see the desperate way they were clenched into fists.

"I'm fine, I'm… good." He managed to stammer out and Shinigami-sama stared back at him in silence for a few seconds.

"Why are you lying, Spirit? There is clearly something bothering you!" He said, happy as ever and moving forward slightly. Spirit sent his gaze flying around at the clouds drifting by them, desperate not to give anything away to the cloaked figure in front of him.

"I'm not lying…" He squeaked out and Shinigami-sama moved even closer, the tall black figure still managing to give off a dominating and intimidating aura despite his cheery appearance.

"Is it because you're in love with Dr Stein? Is that what is bothering you so?" He announced and tilted his mask in question. Spirits mouth dropped open in shock, his face turning pale then a rapid crimson in the space of a few seconds.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT I HAVE KNOW IDEA WHY YOU WOULD EVER THINK I LOVE STEIN THAT IS SO RIDICU-" Spirit's rambling shouts were quickly silenced by the painful blow to his head Shinigami-sama had delivered. The death god raised the oversized white hand from his weapon's head and Spirit instantly grasped at his head in pain, his eyes turning shiny from emotion.

"I advise you calm down before I am forced to Shinigami chop you, Spirit." Lord Death said and turned away.

"But you already have-" Spirit started to mumble but stopped when Shinigami-sama turned to look back at him in warning.

"Now, are you going to tell me what you plan on doing about this whole love situation, hmm?" Shinigami- sama clapped his hands together then sat by a readily prepared table to help himself to some tea, motioning for Spirit to join him.

Still rubbing at his sore head, Spirit gave a small frown and then reluctantly sat opposite the shinigami, his hands curling around the teacup which was offered to him.

"How did you know?" He asked and Shinigami-sama gave a pleasant chuckle.

"It's not hard to see… And I see a lot of things that happen in this city…" Shinigami-sama took another sip of his tea and Spirit couldn't help but blush, remembering all the rather explicit things he and Stein had conducted together whilst in this city.

"Well, I'm afraid there isn't much I can tell you, as I'm not quite sure what to do about it myself." Spirit said sadly and he looked down at his reflection in the settled tea, his thoughts drifting to the encounter in the classroom and the ultimatum he seemed to be faced with.

"Do you love the man?" Shinigami-sama asked, and although Spirit couldn't bring himself to look up, he did manage a small nod, "And does the man love you?" Spirit nodded again, "Well, then I see no issue." Shinigami-sama said simply, finishing his tea quickly and placing his cup down.

"Oh, but there is… I mean… What, what about Maka? She still hates me after the whole ordeal with her mother. I don't want to drive her away even further by announcing I am hooking up with her teacher." Spirit grimaced at the thought of his daughter's reaction to such news. He knew it wouldn't be pleasant.

"Hmmmm… You do raise a good point there, I suppose." Shinigami-sama rose a finger to scratch the top of his mask in thought, "And she is going through a very vital time at the moment, with Soul- _don't make that face_," Shinigami-sama rose his hand in a threat against the unpleasant face Spirit had pulled at the sound of Soul's name before continuing, "-with Soul coming so close to becoming a death scythe earlier in the year. The two of them are very powerful as partners."

"They are… And I'd hate to distract her from her studies at such an important time…" Spirit admitted, his head falling to rest on his hands.

"And I fear there may be harder times ahead for us all in the near future…"

Spirit's head rose at the serious tone in Shinigami-sama's voice, his eyebrows rising in question.

"What do you mean?"

"Dark times are coming, Spirit-san. I can feel it all around. Madness and twisted forces are at work, although the exact cause is not quite identifiable at the moment."

"And what does this all mean?" Spirit gave him a worried look.

"All I'm saying is that do you really think now is the right time to be distracted by love?"

The question hung in the air between them, neither of them particularly willing to provide an answer. Spirit looked out at the white clouds slowly drifting by them, the settling feeling of a decision made weighing down on his stomach, making him feel almost painfully heavy.

"I understand." He said.

…

**God, I know I said this would be the last chapter but it isn't, I still have one more to go I think. ^.^ Anyways, I apologise for the slight lameness of this chapter (and the fact it took me longer to get this one out than the last few, oops). **

**So thanks to Lazy Gaga, Bananas, lilac01 and IcedCherryHeart for your reviews! You guys are all super fabulous. :D**

**Lyrics at the top are taken from the song "I won't let you go" By James Morrison rather than "Guns and Horses" like the previous chapters, by the way. **


	8. 2 Days Later The End

_If your sky is falling,_

_Just take my hand and hold it,_

_You don't have to be alone,_

_I won't let you go,__  
><em>_And if you feel the fading of the light,_

_And you're too weak to carry on the fight,_

_And all your friends that you count on have disappeared,_

_I'll be here, not gone, forever,_

_Holding on…_

**2 days later**

Spirit watched the class file out of the classroom from across the corridor. Clusters of teenagers laughing and joking with each other, making Spirit feel very old and nostalgic all at once. He wished he could go back to when they were just clueless kids, not quite sure of what the future lay ahead. But he couldn't. He had to face the present, as painful as it may be.

As the last of the students left the room and the buzz of the corridor quietened to an uncomfortable silence, Spirit took a deep breath and made his move. He opened the door slowly, his gaze falling upon Stein who was piling up his books on the desk. The meister looked up at Spirit, a smile spreading on his lips which very nearly broke the weapon's heart in two. _How could he do this?_

"Spirit…" Stein began but his smile faltered as he registered the pained look on Spirit's face, his clenched jaw and downcast blue eyes. Stein instantly knew what Spirit had come to say, and he turned his head away so that the red head would not see the angry look in his eyes. _Coward, _he thought and his fists clenched tightly, but the word did not pass his lips and the silence between them grew more uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry." Spirit broke the silence, his voice small in the large classroom.

"You are always saying that." Stein replied, desperately trying to keep the venom out of his tone of voice, "You're always fucking sorry. And you always fucking leave… I don't know how I ever thought you could change." Stein turned his glare in Spirit's direction, the wildness in his eyes catching Spirit off guard and sending his heart beating fast out of fear, or lust, he couldn't quite tell.

"Now isn't the right time…" Spirit started to say and took a step closer, his eyes welling up at Stein's truthfully harsh words. Stein paused for a second and then flashed him a quick smile, scarily like the menacing grin which had haunted Spirit's dreams for weeks. In a moment, he had closed the distance between them, his face looming close so that Spirit could pick out the individual stitches criss-crossing along his jagged scar. Stein brought his hands forcefully to Spirit's chest and there was a brief second before Spirit realised what was happening before he was flung backwards from Stein's soul discharge, the green charge jolting through his body like electricity. He hit the far wall hard and slumped to the floor, pain coursing through his body and his mind whirring into overdrive.

"If you want to leave, then go!" Stein shouted to him, his fingers still sparking green from the attack and his expression deadly serious. Spirit looked up at him angrily from the floor, his eyes narrowing and his insides burning with frustration, anger, hatred, passion, everything all at once towards the silver haired man. He could almost feel his soul raging and burning with all the emotion he had kept held down for so long.

Suddenly, he was on his feet, his legs taking him quickly in Stein's direction, and almost as a reflex, he protruded the sharp dark tip of his scythe form from his forearm, the shiny black blade growing long and glinting off the light in the classroom. Stein prepared his stance for the oncoming Spirit, his eyes carefully trained on the long black scythe blade which now protruded from his arm, a death scythe, one of the strongest weapons in the world.

Spirit lunged in his direction, swinging his arm and very nearly adding a new scar to Stein's face if the Meister had not quickly taken a step to the side.

"I don't want to leave, you stupid ignorant bastard! You think this is all about you-" Spirit's shouting was cut short when Stein delivered a kick into his side, sending him stumbling, but not quite falling. He retaliated with a quick sweep around, his blade making contact with Stein's leg and cutting his thigh. Stein stepped back, his hand grasping at the cut, which slowly started to turn red, the material of his trousers turning wet from blood.

"This was never about me! Everything was always on YOUR terms; doing what YOU thought was right! You like to think you are so in control of this whole thing, but you aren't! You're just a scared little boy who takes it up the ass!" Stein was shouting and there was laughter in his tone of voice, his eyebrows rising from behind shining sheets of glass as he clutched at his bleeding leg.

Spirit swung at him again, this time aiming at his chest, but Stein was ready for him, ducking at just the right moment and kicking at Spirit's ankles with his good leg. Spirit felt his ankles give way beneath him and he fell to his hands and knees, a brief second passing before he grabbed at Stein's injured leg and pulled hard, causing Stein to cry out in pain and fall to the floor beside him. In an instant, Spirit had climbed on top of him, holding the sharp blade closely to Stein's neck as he tried to steady his breathing, to stop the roaring anger inside of him from getting out of control.

One of Stein's lenses in his glasses had cracked from the fall and his moss green eyes stared defiantly back from behind the broken glass.

"Look who's on top now, you crazy bastard." Spirit hissed at him through clenched teeth, and before Stein could come up with a reply, Spirit brought his lips crashing down on his, the motion causing the blade to push down on Stein's pale skin, breaking it ever so slightly so that a single drop of blood escaped and ran down his neck. Spirit broke the kiss to pull away the blade, it quickly disappearing back into his arm as he brought his mouth to Stein's neck so that his tongue could catch the drop of blood and his teeth could bite down on the white flesh.

Stein's eyes seemed to focus and grow wide, a single breath pushing past his lips at the sensation of Spirit's bite. There was no sadistic grin plastered on his lips anymore, they had been cured from their madness by the touch of another's. His hands reached up to grasp at the red strands of hair tickling his skin and Spirit responded by bringing his lips to his again, the two of them reluctant to ever cease the way their lips moved together, the sudden bites and the sly invasions of tongue which Stein couldn't help but deliver occasionally.

Stein's hand grasped at Spirits, guiding it downwards as his lips separated from his.

"Show me how you can take charge then…" He whispered in a low voice, his face so close that Spirit could feel the warm breath escape his mouth with each word. Spirit smiled in that cheekily cocky way Stein had always seen in his youth as his hand toyed at Stein's belt. There was a pause and, although Spirit kept on smiling, his hand moved away and he found himself climbing off of the confused looking Stein.

He stood over him, his head tilting to the side to smile down at the now stone-faced Meister.

"I really wish I could do all those things to you. And believe me, one day I will… But now isn't the time, Stein. We both know that." Spirit held out his hand and Stein narrowed his eyes at it before looking up at the smiling face.

Stein really didn't want to, but all of a sudden, he found himself feeling the greatest swell of respect for the childlike man stood over him. He would never admit it, but in that moment, Spirit showed way more power than Stein could ever hope to achieve. He had well and truly dominated him with mere words and intentions, and now Stein felt slightly silly and hopeless in his eyes.

He carefully took the outstretched hand and allowed himself to be pulled back to his feet, his face desperately trying to hide the embarrassment he felt inside. His shoulder's drooped in sadness and he took off the broken pair of glasses and pocketed them in his lab coat. When his eyes caught Spirit's, he gave a small smile.

"How long do you think we will have to wait? Before we can be happy at last?" Stein asked, his voice carefully hiding all emotion, as though he were merely asking about the weather.

"I don't know…" Spirit raised his eyebrows, "but soon, I think… I mean, I don't think I will be able to keep away for long. I might always leave, but that doesn't mean I don't always come back."

Stein's mouth fell open in surprise, the honesty of the statement hitting him hard in realisation.

"Now come on," Spirit stepped close to him, "Your leg is bleeding."

"Yes, the intense pain I am feeling does mean that I am aware of that fact." Stein stated, looking down at the gash on his leg, "But you should know that I can handle a lot worse." He gave a sick smile which produced a roll of the eyes from Spirit.

And for a moment, it was as though they were teenagers again. As Spirit put his arm around Stein's back to help him walk, he was reminded of all the times he had been in a similar situation. Stopping Stein from fighting, helping him clean his wounds after he cut himself, even as far back as when they first met, putting the butterfly out of its misery. Spirit wondered what would have happened to Stein if the two of them hadn't become partners. _Would his madness be out of control?_

"Spirit…"

"Hmm?" The two men stopped before they reached the classroom door and Spirit turned to face Stein. Stein held up his hands to rest on Spirits cheeks, the cool touch of his fingers brushing lightly across the skin as he leaned in for a final kiss. He didn't close his eyes until he felt the soft warmth of Spirit's lips on his own and this time, they didn't kiss out of lust or need. The kiss barely lasted a few seconds, but it was soft and gentle; a kiss out of love.

"Until the next time." Stein said as they parted and Spirit gave a small nod before they exited the classroom together.

Spirit didn't care what would have happened if they hadn't met. Because they had. And after all they had been through together, he swore to himself that one day they would be together and Stein's madness need never be a problem. _One day they would be happy._

…

**It's finished guys ;_; I'm gonna kinda miss writing this. I feel like writing it just kind of made me fall in love with this pairing so much more. There is so much depth you could probably go into with these two, I feel like I have barely skimmed the surface. But the surface is good enough for now, I suppose.**

**So thanks to everyone who reviewed/ favourited/ story alerted this fic along the way. People like you give me the hope to continue writing these stupid things XD**

**I hope you didn't hate the way I ended this, please do let me know what you think in a review! Bye!**


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